Alone When the Snow Flies
by A. Potter
Summary: It's Christmas, and Kenshin's not there! Read, it's less hyper than this review.


Kaoru sat on the porch and watched the snow fall down, softly, gently, like a  
song. Yahiko was inside decorating the Christmas Tree with the girls and  
Megumi. Even from outside, the lights filtered through. Everything was perfect,  
except Kenshin wasn't here. He had gone out again, hoping to stave back a band  
of bandits on the road from a merchant train due to come in today. It was  
evening Christmas Eve, and Kaoru waited patiently for his return, to spend  
Christmas with them, after being gone for quite a few days. A lone rider rode up  
outside the gates, cautiously Kaoru made her way through the snow to him.  
  
Of course she knew what was going to happen, what the message was going to  
say, but the tears still froze on her cheeks as she read the letter.  
  
Dear Miss Kaoru,  
  
I'm sorry to say I won't be joining you for Christmas. The caravan has  
met some unexpected delays. I'm very sorry. Merry Christmas!  
  
Kenshin-  
  
Of course. For a second, she imagined Kenshin fighting bandits all alone on the  
road. Alone, and cold, away from the people he knew and loved- on Christmas  
Eve. She went inside.  
  
"I'm sorry, everyone, but Kenshin won't be with us this Christmas. He-  
they met delays and won't be back until the day after tomorrow." Megumi and  
the girls looked at her, Yahiko ran into another room. She could hear him  
practicing drills to keep his mind off his anger. Sano walked in, silently.  
  
"Kenshin wouldn't do this unless he had to. He would be back here, I  
know it. It's not his fault. Still, Christmas Eve. That's pretty rough." He said to  
himself, "Especially on Kaoru."  
  
That night Kaoru went to sleep in the front room, waiting in front of the  
Christmas tree. "For what?" She asked herself, "Nothing, except hope." Slowly,  
she drifted off to sleep, no blanket covering her, only her mattress underneath.  
She had given hers to Megumi. Yahiko walked in, saw her shivering, went back  
and got his blanket. As he draped it over her, he thought, "Hey, it's okay, Kaoru,  
I can freeze to death tonight." It was warmer in his room than out here, anyway.  
He went back inside.  
  
--  
  
As his sword sliced through the last bandit, stunning, but not killing him, Kenshin  
sighed. Knowing that unless he ditched the caravan and stole one of the horses,  
he wouldn't get back to the dojo. As the caravan moved on, a young woman  
came out on another horse.  
  
"Sir, don't you have family waiting this Christmas Eve?" He looked at her.  
  
"Friends, yes, as close as family." He replied, not wanting her to feel guilty. She  
looked off, straight ahead, into the night.  
  
"You should take my horse, and go to them, sir."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I have another horse at home in Kyoto, and I can ride in one of the wagons.  
We have other guards, and we're just out of the area of danger. Take my horse,  
and go home for Christmas, Kenshin Himura. You said you are a wanderer. It's  
time for a wanderer to go home. Do it. I order you." He nodded, swung up on  
the horse she had brought, and began the long journey home.  
  
--  
  
Kenshin slid the door closed quietly. Sleeping on the floor was Kaoru. He jumped  
as she slowly opened her eyes.  
  
"Kenshin? No... I must be dreaming, Kenshin's not coming home..." He smiled,  
as she realized it wasn't a dream, she sat up, and he sat down next to her.  
  
"Kenshin! You really are home." He felt a warmth grow inside him. He hugged  
her. "Yes, I am home. For Christmas. I couldn't leave you, Miss Kaoru." She was  
dozing off. Kenshin hesitated for a minute, then kissed her, quickly.  
  
"Merry Christmas, Miss Kaoru."  
  
"Merry Christmas, Kenshin." They both fell asleep, to the music of Christmas.  
  
------  
  
Author's note: Fluffy? Corny? Pathetic? Good? Let me know! I was listening to a  
Christmas-sounding song on one of my Kenshin CDs, and I had the strange,  
insane urge to write a Christmas Fanfic Kenshin Style. Now, I know they  
probably don't celebrate Christmas, but who cares? Don't stop the writer's talent!  
(It's better than writer's block, which I haven't encountered yet, from the looks  
of this, I have too many!) **Also, If anyone had this idea, too, I'm not copying  
you! (At least, not intentiionally.)**  
  
~A. Potter 


End file.
